Press



May 26, 1970 Original Filed Oct. 27, 1965 H. F. SILVER PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet l May 26, 1970 Original Filed Oct. 27, 1965 H. F. SILVE R PRESS 4 sheets-sheet 2 'ZM/ /JLW 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 i l PRESS H. F. SILVER May 26, 1970 Original Filed OCT.. 27, 1965 IZB H. F. SILVER May 26, 1970 PRESS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1L Original Filed Oct.V 27, 1965 United States Patent O 3,513,770 PRESS Harold F. Silver and Frank B. Price, Denver, Colo., as-

signors, by mesne assignments, to CF&I Engineering, Inc., Denver, Colo., a corporation of Colorado Original application Oct. 27, 1965, Ser. No. 505,333, now Patent No. 3,431,839, dated Mar. 11, 1969. Divided and this application May 15, 1968, Ser. No. 729,217

Int. Cl. B30!) 3/04 U.S. Cl. 100--158 11 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A press having an opposed pair of rotating conical discs. The apices of the discs are mounted on substantially the same center point. The discs are pivoted about the same center point to form a nipline for compression of material therebetween. The arrangement maintains uniform compression at all radial dimensions during pivotal movements of the discs.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 505,333, filed Oct. 27, 1965, and now Pat. No. 3,431,839.

This invention relates to a new and improved continuous press for separating liquids from solids of the type comprising a pair of opposed cooperating conical discs which are mounted for rotation in the same direction on axes which intersect, lbut which are disposed at a slight angle one to the other.

Presses of this type are capable of being used for various purposes, such as for removing water or other liquids from subdivided solid materials, and are particularly useful for heavy-duty work where a substantial pressing action is required. Presses of this type are particularly adapted for pressing various materials such as bagasse, wood pulp, various forms of cellulose fibers, brewers grain, beet pulp, and similar substances.

The press of this invention is especially adapted for use in dewatering bagasse which emerges from the diffusion process, described in Pat. No. 3,248,263.

It is an object of this invention to provide a press of the type described which has two opposed cooperating rotary conical discs mounted in pivotal relationship one to the other to form a nipline for compression of material therebetween and which provides for uniform compression of the material at all radial dimensions.

It is another object of the invention to provide substantially equal pressures along the radial extent of the discs at any one relative pivoted position of the discs to each other.

It is still another object of the invention to provide a uniform ratio of compression between the discs along the radii during pivoting of the discs relative to each other.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a press of the above described type in which the axis of the pivot for connecting said two cooperating conical discs is disposed vertically, whereby the weight of the pivoted parts is sustained by the hinge bearings connecting said discs and their associated parts, respectively, and the respective parts of the press are free from any tendency to move on the hinge axis due to the iniluence of gravity.

These and other objects not specifically enumerated are contemplated for this invention as will readily appear to one skilled in the art as the following description proceeds. By Way of example, this invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in a particular form which is especially adapted for expressing liquid such as water or sugar juice from bagasse. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a plan view, partly in cross-section, illustrating the internal construction of a portion of the press 3,513,770 Patented May 26, 1970 ice and the relationship of the conical discs when they are in operative position;

FIG. 2 is also a plan view of the press showing the external construction, the hinge between the stationary and floating parts thereof, and the mechanism for moving the floating parts into compressive relationship with the other parts of the press;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the press illustrated in FIG. l with portions removed to reveal the relationship of the stationary and lloating parts and the hinged connection therebetween;

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view of the press illustrated in FIG. l further showing the feed screw mechanism which, in addition to feeding material to the press, serves to express a portion of the liquid of the material being fed;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view showing the construction of the conical discs employed in this illustrated embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. `6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5

Referring to the drawings, there is shown two generally frusto-conical discs 15 and 40. The apices of discs 15 and 40 lie on substantialy the same center point 32. An important feature of the present invention is directed to the design of certain parts of the press about said center point. This unique design provides uniform compression of material between the discs along the radial dimensions, as will become apparent from the following description.

The press has a stationary support 10= including frame 11, which also constitutes a housing for one of the rotary conical discs. A partition 12 is provided in the housing which serves as a mounting for a bearing 13 for rotatably supporting the shaft 14 for the conical disc 15. The rear end of the shaft is provided -with a plate 16 which, in turn, is supported by bearing 17 mounted in the housing. The end surface of the plate 16 is provided with a race 18 for bearing-engagement with thrust bearings 19, which may be mounted in the manner shown.

The s'haft 14 is provided with a spur gear 20 Which is driven by a pinion (not shown) from a motor 23. Preferably the motor drives a helical gear reducer 22 which in turn, drives a chain reduction 23 which drives the spur gear 20 through reduction gear mechanism 24 by means of the pinion -referred to.

The conical disc 15 is constructed with a plurality of ribs 25 Iwhich are supported by conical plate 26 and radial supports 27, all in a manner to provide the necessary strength and rigidity to the disc. Adjacent the axis of the disc 15 is a hub member 30 which has a surface 31 formed as a portion of the surface of a sphere, having the point 32 lying on the axis of the disc 15 as its center. At the periphery of the disc 1S a llange 33 is provided, preferably bolted to the disc as shown at 34, having an inner surface 35 which is formed as a portion of the surface of a sphere, also generated around the point 32 as its center.

In addition to the stationary portion of the machine, a similarly constructed portion having an opposed conical disc 40 is provided as represented by the numeral 42. This floating portion of the press is pivotally mounted to one side of the stationary portion on hinges 44-44 located at the top and bottom of the housing 11 of the stationary portion of the machine, with its axis disposed vertically in a position to intersect the point 32 which constitutes the point of intersection of the axes, respectively, of the two discs 15 and 40 and which, as 'above described, also constitutes the center from which the spherical surfaces 31 and 35 are generated. The construction of disc 40', including the shaft and bearings therefor, is the same as that illustrated and described with respect to the disc of the stationary portion of the machine and, hence, a further description is unnecessary. It should be understood, however, that the oating disc 40 is driven by its own motor and gearing mechanisms, which preferably are similar to those previously described, with the drive so adjusted that the discs 15 and 40 both rotate in the same direction and approximately at the same speed.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, the frame 11 of the stationary portion of the press is provided with mounting lugs 50 which accommodate a pivot 51 to which is pivotally attached a pair of links 52. Similarly, lugs 53 are provided for the pivot pin 54 which mounts pivotally a link 55. Links 52 and 55, respectively, are pivotally connected to a pair of straps 56 which, in turn, are pivoted to a suitable power mechanism, such as a hydraulic cylinder 57, which has associated with it a power piston 58 pivotally connected as at 59 to the housing of the stationary portion of the mechanism. This or similar means are employed for drawing the pivots 51 and 54 toward each other to cause the floating portion of the mechanism to rotate in a counterclockwise direction, as illustrated in FIG. 2, around pivots 44 to bring the discs into operative compressing relationship or, in other words, into that relationship illustrated in FIG. 1.

As previously noted, the pivot axis passes through center point 32 which is common to the apices of the cones of discs 15 and 40. This unique arrangement provides substantially equal pressure on the material through the radial extent of the discs. This arrangement results in the material at the periphery of the discs being compressed at approximately the same amount as material adjacent the center of the discs, at any one pivotal position of the discs with respect to each other. For example, if the distance between the working faces of the discs at the nipline is increased, the pressure on the material at the nipline will be decreased, but, in the present invention, the pressure is decreased the same amount at any point along the nipline. Conversely, if the pressure at the nipline is increased, the pressure will be increased the same amount at any point along the nipline. The importance of this unique feature will be realized when it is understood that pressures at the nipline in a press of the type described may reach valves as high as 3,000 pounds per square inch.

As shown in FIG. l, the space between the discs will be at a minimum along the horizontal line constituting the radius on the right-hand side of the stationary disc as viewed from the left of FIG. l. At the opposite side or, in other words, at 180 removed from the line of closest approach between the two discs, the greatest space is provided and this space constitutes the location in the circumference of the device where the material to be pressed is fed into the compression chamber.

The space between the discs constituting the compression chamber, from a point somewhat above the location of the geding inlet, is closed by a housing which extends downwardly and around the bottom portion of the compression chamber for a distance of approximately 150 or, in other words, throughout that portion of the circumference of the discs where such a wall is required to close the compression chamber. It will be noted from the illustration at the bottom of FIG. 1 that the edge 60= of the disc 40' is provided with a surface formed as a part of a sphere, generated around the point 32 at its center, and this edge throughout a portion of the circumference of the discs on either side of the nipline is disposed in closing relationship with the inner spherical surface 35 of the ange 33 carried at the periphery of the disc 15. However, beyond this arc of overlap, the compression chamber becomes increasingly larger in the direction of the feed inlet and, consequently, in order to close the compression chamber a wall is required to supplement the overlap provided by the disc edge 60 and flange 33. Such ya closing wall is illustrated at 62 in FIG. 1, it being understood that the inner surface thereof is formed as a part of the surface of a sphere and that it serves as a continuation of the spherical surface 35 on the inside of the flange 33 throughout its extent. The wall 62 is -ixedly mounted by means (not shown) to a part of the housing 11, which encloses the stationary disc 15. By virtue of the fact that the inner surface of the wall 62 is spherical, it also cooperates with the edge 60 of the disc 40 so that the compresison chamber is closed completely throughout its extent between the location of the inlet feed and the nipline between the discs.

Material, such as bagasse, which is to be treated in the press may be fed thereto by means of a feeding screw of the type illustrated in FIG. 4. As there shown, a shaft 70 is provided for a feeding screw flight 71 which is mounted for rotation in a housing 72. A portion of the housing 73 is preferably conical in shape and the portion of the screw which occupies the conical portion of the housing is like- Wise conical. Adjacent one end of the screw there is a top opening to which a feed shaft 74 is attached to accommodate bagasse or similar material to be treated, which moves downwardly in association with the adjacent portion of the screw. 'Ihe screw is preferably driven by a motor 75, a reducing gear 76, and drive chain 77 in a direction to advance the material fed to the screw toward the press. The end of the screw on the opposite side of the conical portion 7.3 is likewise cylindrical and it feeds into the feed inlet opening 78.

As shown in FIGS. 4, the feed is preferably located slightly below the horizontal line on the side of the press where the compression chamber is of the greatest dimension. The discs are geared t-o rotate in a clockwise direction (as viewed in FIG. 4) so that as the material is fed radially inwardly into the widest portion of the chamber between the discs it is caused to move downwardly into the compression chamber. The compression chamber is defined by the opposed disc faces and the closing wall 62 throughout a portion of its extent, and by the opposed disc faces and the ange 33 throughout the remaining portion of its extent.

The compression chamber here referred to identifies that portion of the space between the opposing discs which extends from the region of the feed inlet to the nipline between the discs or, in other words, the radial line of highest compressive action which, by virtue of the fact that the floating portion of the machine is mounted by a vertical axis, occurs at right-angles to the hinge or pivotal axis.

The housing surrounding the feed screw is preferably provided with holes 79 therein, at least throughout the bottom half thereof, through which expressed liquid may pass and fall downwardly into a collecting basin 80. The action of the screw throughout the conical portion thereof places the material under compressive force which serves well to eliminate a substantial portion of the liquid. The liquid in the basin 80 may be withdrawn through a suitable pipe 82 by any suitable means.

The material is fed laterally into the press, approximately at the median line with respect to the height of the machine, and passes downwardly and then upwardly until it reaches the nipline of the press. During this period, the material is placed under greatest compression and, as a consequence, the liquid is prevented from passing the nipline of the press.

As noted heretofore, an important feature of the invention is maintaining equal pressure on the material throughout the radial extent of the opposed discs. This becomes most important at the nipline at which the greatest pressures are obtained. The pressures applied at the nipline remain substantially constant along the radial dimensions at any one relative position of said discs.

Various means may be employed to remove the liquid such as, for instance, having it back up and flow out of an opening or openings suitably placed in the compression chamber or, preferably, particularly when treating bagasse, by having the discs provided with holes 87, asA

clearly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. The liquid passing through the holes is caused to fall downwardly into the liquid collecting chamber 85, as clearly shown in FIG. 4. The collecting chamber is so mounted with respect to both discs that the liquid flowing through the openings on both discs finds its way by gravity into the collecting chamber. Liquid may be removed from the collecting chamber 85 by a pipe 86, through the use of a pump or any other suitable means.

The solid material that passes beyond the nipline of the press is ready for discharge from the press, as all of the pressing action that can be exerted thereon has been completed. Consequently, it passes upwardly and to the top of the machine where the faces of the opposed discs are `diverging and where the faces, respectively, encounter scrapers which effectively remove the spent material therefrom. The material thus removed is forced outwardly of the press through a discharge chute 90, which is illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The Scrapers are not shown, but it is to be understood that a separate scraper is provided for each disc and that the housing for each disc, at the upper part thereof, provides a support for the scraper which is attached thereto by suitable means.

A feature Iof this invention is illustrated in FIG. l from which it will be noted that the stationary and floating portions of the press, each with its rotating disc, are so constructed and disposed that the focal point of the thrust force of each of the thrust bearings is located on a straight line which passes through the point on the nipline of the press which represents the center of gravity of the material being com-pressed at that line. As shown in FIG. 1,

point A represents the focal point of the thrust bearing for the stationary portion of the machine and point B represents the corresponding focal point for the thrust bearing for the floating portion of the machine and, when disposed in operative position as illustrated, the straight line C- vvhich passes through points A and B-passes through point D which is located substantially on the point of the center of gravity of the material being treated at the nipline of the press. This feature of the construction takes maximum advantage of the thrust bearings for absorbing the thrust load and, accordingly, places a minimum load on the radial bearings employed for the disc shafts, respectively.

Although the conical discs as illustrated in FIG. 1 do not show holes extending through the faces of the discs, it is to be understood that one form of the invention may employ discs of the construction illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 which illustrate such holes. The disc illustrated in FIG. 5 is constructed to be mounted to rotate in a counterclockwise direction so that the liquid, when forced through the holes 87, can fall by gravity in a downward direction as illustrated by the arrows within the spaces existing between the ribs 25. Due to the fact that both the long and the short ribs are mounted on a generally spiral path, the spaces between adjacent ribs are open in the downward direction throughout that portion of the circumference of the conical discs, respectively, where the pressing action is accomplished. This feature and the fact that the openings 87 are smaller adjacent the surface of the disc than they are below the surface prevent clogging of the holes of the disc and provide a free passage for the liquid downwardly in its movement to the collecting chamber 85 located below the press.

The form of this invention herein disclosed is illustrative and is given only by way of example. The scope of the invention is not to be limited thereby as it is intended that the appended claims be construed as broadly as may be permitted by the prior art.

We claim:

1. In a press of the character described, the combination comprising, a pair of opposed conical discs rotatably mounted with their apices substantially on the same center point, first support means for the rst of said conical discs, second support means for the second of said conical discs, pivot means for said support means for relative pivotal movement of said discs toward and away from each other, power means for moving said discs toward each other for forming a nipline for compression of material between said discs, means adjacent the periphery of said discs for containing material therebetween, means for feeding material to said press, means for removing material from said press, and motor means for rotating each of said discs, said pivot means mounted on an axis that passes through substantially said same center point for substantially uniform compression of the material -between the opposed radial lines of the discs.

2. In a press as defined in claim 1 in which said means for containing material between said discs has spherical surfaces generated about substantially said same center point of the disc apices.

3. In a press as defined in claim 1, a hub member mounted centrally of said conical discs, said hub member having a spherical 4bearing surface generated about substantially said same center point of the disc apices, and at least one of said discs rotatable on said hub.

4. In a press as defined in claim 1, wherein the axis of said pivot means is disposed substantially vertically.

5. In a press as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for feeding material is provided to said discs at a point generally opposite from the nipline.

6. In a press as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for feeding material includes a motor driven screw.

7. In a press as dened in claim 6, wherein said screw is tapered generally conically toward said press and said screw is enclosed in a conical housing.

8. In a press of the construction defined in claim 7 wherein said conical housing is provided with openings throughout a portion of its area for the passage of liquid, and means for collecting said liquid.

9. In a press of the construction defined in claim 1 wherein said conical discs are provided with openings in the opposed surfaces thereof for the passage of liquid, and means for collecting said liquid.

10. In a press of the construction defined in claim 1 wherein said discs have shafts, a thrust bearing provided for each shaft, each of said thrust bearings located on its associated shaft in such position that a straight line connecting the focal point of thrust of each bearing passes through a point located at the center of gravity of the material passing through the nipline.

11. In a press of the construction defined in claim 1 wherein said means for removing material includes a discharge outlet in the non-compression portion of said press.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,617,354 11/1952 Ingalls 100-158 X 2,789,618 4/1957 Bennett 100-158 3,105,434 10/1963 Messing 10U-158 EDWARD L. ROBERTS, Primary Examiner 23530 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE t CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 513, 770 Dated Mav 26L 1910 Inventods) Harold F. Silver and Frank B. Price It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

l Column 2, line 24, "substantialy" should be substantially Column 2, line 43, "23" should be 2l Column 4, line 29, "Figures" should be -Figure Column 5, line l5, after "the" (second occurrence) insert -two' 4 SIGNED AND mm' @22m I 1 e Bama n. newlm, Jr. I l Atmung ofr L. 

